Thompson Rebecca J, Hasleton Philip S, Taylor Paul M, Woodhead Mark, Byrd Louise M
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St Mary's Hospital, Hathersage Road, Manchester M13 9WL, UK.
J Med Case Rep. 2010 Jan 20;4:17. doi: 10.1186/1752-1947-4-17.
Haemoptysis in pregnancy is frequently assumed to be caused by a pulmonary embolism. However, it can also be an indicator of serious pathology.
We report the case of a 27-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with haemoptysis in pregnancy that was discovered to be caused by a well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma of the lung.
This case demonstrates the importance of establishing an accurate diagnosis when a pregnant woman presents with haemoptysis and that more serious pathology should be considered if the clinical symptoms persist and/or the presumed diagnosis of pulmonary embolism is not confirmed.